Sealed package



April 23, 1935. Q HAMMER 1,998,869

SEALED PACKAGE Filed June 28, 1930 INVENTOR l /zar/ar 192mm 67 zwfi nw ATTORNEY Patented Apr. 23, 1935' UNITEDfSTATES P -A TE T v OF ICE Application June 28, 1930, Serial No. 464,436

I scam (or 215.40;

The present invention relates to the sealing art and more particularly to: asealed package provided with a closure cap which may be readily removed and may thereafter be, used for reseal 5 purposes.

The present invention is, more particularly,v an improvement upon sealed packages having side seal-closures thereon. Anexample of such a.

package may be found in the Edgar Scofleld patent, No. 1,611,955, dated December 28, 1926. The hermetic seal of sucha packageis very secure; in fact,- it has security to spare. In addie tion, by reforming the bead and the resilient gasket therein, the cap is adapted to take up a substantial range of variations in the size of the- It is well known that con-V glass containers. tainers vary substantially from a predetermined standard and it is, therefore, necessary for closure 1 caps to accommodate containers having such variations; otherwisethe closure is not commercially feasible. I I I While the caps illustrated in the abovepatent are capable of accommodating substantial variations in container sizes and forming an effective seal thereon, difficulty has been encountered in the removal of the caps by the consumers, who are, for the most part, housewives.- In addition,

the housewife, in removing the caps, usually dis- I torts them to such an extent thatrit is necessary to throw the closure away after removal. This is objectionable due to the factthat'the consumer ordinarily desires a cap which, after removal, is adaptable asa cover at least and, preferably, as a reseal; This is one reason for. the popularity of the so-calledscrew capf. vThe latter, however, does not form an effective 'se'aljwhichis' most essential for the preservationof edible products. I I r I The present invention is an improvementupon the packages having side seal closures thereon and is directed more particularlyto' facilitating the removal of the caps without distortion or destruction thereof, whereby they may be used thereafter for reseal purposes.

An object of '.the invention is to provide 'a securehermetic seal which may be readily re-,

moved. I

Another object of the invention is to provide a hermetically sealed package, the closure cap of which may be readily removed and reapplied for reseal purposes. Another object of the invention is toprovide an inexpensive hermeticallysealed package provided with a side sealclosure and to facilitate the removalof the closure without'distortio nthereof.

Otherandfurther objects of the invention' will be o vbious upon an understanding of the illustrative'embodiment about to be described, or will be indicated in the appended claims, and various advantages not referred to herein'will occur to one skilled in the artupon employment of the invention in practice.

Fig. 1 is a fragmentary, side elevationalview of-the container; I I I Fig. 2 is a fragmentary sectional view of the container and cap loosely mounted thereon before the sealing operation; I I

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary sectional view, with a portion of the container in elevation, illustrating the cap sealed upon the container and its path of movement during removal; and I Fig. 4 is a fragmentary sectional view showing a different type of seal. 1

In the manufacture of glass containers, defects are most likely to occur on theupper edge or rim thereof. This portion is frequently wavy and therefore, does not serve for sealing purposesas quired. Inorder to minimize leakage and defece tive seals, it is customary to form the seal a substantial distance below the rim of the container. This minimizes the chances of defects in the rim which would'affect the seal. Such closure caps are removed from the containers by meansfof cap openers, or what is commonly known as a hooked bottle opener. The jaw of the opener engages below the lower .side of the skirt of the cap and the fulcrum engages the cover part of the cap a I substantial distance inward from the rim of the container; The side of the cap is then raised until the skirt of the cap clears the upper edge of the container. In many cases, the metal of the cap is bent inwardly at the fulcrum of the cap opener and thepart of the cap engaged by thejaw of the opener is raised about this bent portion. Inv

every case, the skirt of the cap has to be stretched substantially in order to clear the edge ofthe container. This ordinarily necessitates considerable effort and, frequently, the cap is demolished in the opening operation. This is particularly ob- 2 thereon. The closure cap may comprise the.

usual cover portion l and a depending skirt 5 having a bead 6 therein adjacent the lower edge thereof. The bottom of the skirt is turned in.- wardly, as shown at l, to support a gasket 8 seated Within the bead. Prior to being sealed, the cap" and gasket fit loosely on the container and may be readily applied thereto by hand or by automatic cap feeding machinery. Thereafter, a suitable sealing machine reforms the bead B of the cap causing it to force the gasket against the side wallof the container to form a very tight hermetic .seal therewith. Preferablv the upper part of the outer side of the cap is pressed inwardlymore than the lower part thereof, so that the skirt of the sealed cap is flared, as shown more particularly in Fig. 3. This permits a substantial projection at the bottom of the cap and facilitates the engagement of the jaw of the cap opener therewith.

The cap is preferably removed by means of a suitable cap opener 3 having a jaw i9 adapted to engage the bottom of the skirt of. the cap, and a fulcrum H adapted to engage the cover part of the cap. The removal of the cap is illustrated more particularly in Fig. 3, where the cap is shown in full lines in sealed position and in dotted lines in removed position. I

In order to facilitate the removal of the cap, the container is provided \vli/h a bevelled surface i2 extending about the outer periphery of the container at the upper edge thereof. While the amount of the bevel may be varied within substantial limits, an angle or" about fifteen degrees between the bevelled surface and the cylindrical sealing surface has been found to give excellent results. Preferably, the bevelled surface I2 merges into the sealing surface id at a point in line with the upper edge of the gasketil. In this Way, the entire seal is made upon a cylindrical surface which permits the cap to retain its effective seal and its effective hold upon the cone tainer.

It is well known that the greatest resistance to movement between a frictionally retained object is just prior to the commencement of relative movement therebetween. Therefore, the caps sealed as indicated in Fig. 3 have substantially the same holding power, in so far as accumulation of pressure within the container is concerned, due to heator otherwise. On the other hand, when the cap opener 9 is applied to the cap for removal, the amoimt of stretching necessary is reduced to a minimum because the upper rim of the container has been reduced in size and the cap does not have to be stretched to clear the outer projecting edge. As shown more particularly in Fig. 3, the inner sides of the cap move along the dot and dash line A; whereas, with the usual tumbler, it would be necessary for the cap to be stretched so that it could move along the dot and dash line B. In other Words, the skirt of the cap would have to be stretched substantially to clear the outer rim of the container.

In some cases, the fulcrum H bends the cover portion of the container inwardly and causes the skirt portion of the cap to be distorted substantially and to be pulled up about the point of the cover portion in contact with the fulcrum of the opener. In other Words, the cap is not raised as an entirety, but only locally adjacent to the cap opener. This, of course, causes the skirt of the cap, while being raised, to be drawn further inwardly and necessitates a greater taper on the upper rim of the container than would normally be necessary the cap were raised. about its opposite side. For this reason, the taper l2, in order to take care of the worst operating conditions, is tapered substantially more than the theoretical amount required. It will be understood, of course, that the theoretical taper required would vary for each different size or" container.

The present invention, however, contemplates the use of thesaine amount of taper-for convenience ners covering a substantial range of "ably the entire range, but the amount should not greater than reasonably necessary.

In Fig, a different form of seal is illustrated, wherein the lower side Q5 of the bead of the cap is constricted inwardly to force the gasket firmly against the container. madebut is more difficult to engage with the opener due to the reduced size of the lower edge of the skirt. The removal thereof an" the application the pr=- ent invention to it is the same as that described with reference to Fig. 3.

In forming the seals described herein, a suitable cap is applied to the container so that it rests loosely thereon, as illustrated Fig. 2, prior to the sealing operation. The bead of the cap is reformed and sealed against the container by means of the gasket 8, as illustrated more particularly in Fig.3. Such a seal may be removed by the application of a cap opener, as illustrated in Fig. 3, at a series of points about the periphery of the cap, whereby the cap is gently raised at spaced points untilit clears the cylindrical part of the sealing surface. Immediately after the gasket passes above the lower edge of the bevelled surface l2, resistance toremoval thereof ceases.

The purpose of engaging the cap at a plurality of points is to avoid serious distortion of the cap by reason of the fact that the cover portion bends inwardly under the pressure of the fulcrum oi" the opener and raises a part of the periphery of the cap about the fulcrum of the opener. distorts the cap and prevents it from coming oil in the proper manner. The application of the opener at a series of points stretches the cap slightly and permits it to be removed easily. After the cap has been removed, it may be used for reseal purposes because it has not been necessary to distort it substantially during removal. In addition, the bevelled surface [2 facilitates the application of the cap for reseal purposes since it forms a suitable resting shoulder and permits the cap to be wedged on by application of pressure. The cap, after being properly removed, may be hermetically resealed on the container to preserve the product. This seal, of course, will not be as secure as when the cap is originally applied.

Itwill be seen that the presentinvention provides a sealed package which is simple in construction and whereon the caps may be readily and effectively sealed. The removal of the caps may, be easilyeffected by means of an ordinary bottle opener, without distortion thereof, thereby permitting the removed. caps to be utilized for reseal purposes. The container may also be used as a drinking glass since the tapered portion 12, being reduced in amount to a reasonable mini- This type of seal easily mum, does not interfere with such use, nor does the limited amount of taper increase materially the amount of glass required. The caps permit easy removal and, at the same time, grip the con-,

tainers securely and resist any pressure caused by the expansion of the air within the container due to relatively high external temperatures. I

As various changes may be made in the form, construction and arrangement of the parts herein without departing from the spirit andscope of the invention, it is to be understood that all matter herein is to be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

Having thus described my invention, I claim: 1. A sealed package comprising a container having a sealingsurface on the side wall thereof, a bevelled surface adjacent said sealing surface, anda closure cap having a bead in the skirt thereof, and a gasket in said bead, said skirt being reformed to extrude said gasket from the bead of the cap against said sealing surface immediately below said bevelled surface on the container.

2. A sealed package comprising a containerf having a bevelled surface on the external side wall'thereof adjacent its upper end, a closure cap having a bead in the skirt thereof, a gasket in said bead, the upper side of said gasket being substantiallyin line with the lower edge of said bevelled surface, the upper part of said bead being constricted substantially more than the lower part to press the gasket against the side wall of the container to form a hermetic seal therebetween and to facilitateapplication of an opener for removal of the cap. V

3. A sealed package comprising a container having'a substantially cylindrical side wall sealing surface adjacent the upper end thereof, and having also a tapered part merging with said cylindrical part, said tapered part being at an angle of about fifteen degrees to the cylindrical part to minimize the increase in the thickness and weight of the container occasioned by the bevel, a closure cap having a skirt adapted to receive a gasket, a gasket in said skirt, said skirt being reduced in size'after application to the container to press said gasket against the side wall sealing surface of the container, the upper'part of said gasket being substantiallyadjacent the' surface on the container.

lower part of said bevelled part of the container.

4. A sealed package comprising a container having a cylindrical sealing portion, a closure cap having a bead in the skirt thereof, and a gasket in said bead, said bead being reformed to force the'gasket against the side wallof the container and to form a side seal therewith, the upper part of said bead being constricted inwardlyduring the reforming operation, and the lower part being permitted to remain substantially in its original position to facilitate the engagement of an opener therewith, the outer periphery of said container being bevelled with the lower. edge of the bevel terminating substantially at the upper edge of the gasket, whereby stretching of the cap will be minimized'in raising one side about the other in removal, said bevelled portion of the container being about fifteen degrees to the cylindrical sealing portion to minimize the reduction in the thickness of the glass occasioned by the bevel.

5. A sealed package comprising a container having an annular bevelled surface adjacent its 7 upper edge, the degree of the bevel being sufing and without impairment of the utility of the container by decreasing the thickness of the rim thereof, a closure cap having a bead in the skirt thereof and a gasket in said bead, the upper part of said bead being constricted substantially more than the lower part thereof to force the gasket against the'container at a point immediately below the bevelled surface to facilitate removal thereof, whereby the lower part of the closureis a substantial distance from the container to facilitate application of a bottle opener whereby the cap may be removed without substantial stretching to clear the upper edge of the container.

6. A sealed package comprising a container having a sealing surface on the side wall thereof,

. a bevelled surface adjacent said. sealing surface,

supported in the bead of the cap against said sealing surface immediately below said bevelled CHARLES HAMMER. 

